Repairing From the Tides
by sharks.with.lasers
Summary: "I used to wish I could do something heroic, like my mother," Lin said. There was a pause. "I regret nothing." In the aftermath, Korra comforts Lin. Linorra


In her dream, Korra was running in slow motion while the rest of the world remained normal. She was attempting to sprint across the airship, to get to Lin, but she couldn't move. So she watched as the Lieutenant clubbed Lin with his electrocuting sticks, over and over again. Lin's body underwent spasms. She couldn't get up, and she couldn't fight. Korra had to help, but every time she was too slow.

"Come and save your lover, Avatar," Amon goaded. "If you get here in time, I'll let both of you keep your bending."

Korra tried to sprint, but she was forced to continue at the same glacial pace. She tried to scream, but she was mute.

Amon chuckled darkly, "Suit yourself, Avatar."

Lin bravely tipped her head back to meet Amon's hand. Korra saw the terror in her eyes; saw her collapse on the airship.

"Come and save your lover, Avatar," Amon said again. "If you get here in time, I'll let both of you keep your lives."

But Korra wasn't quick enough; again. Amon picked up Lin's limp body, and carried over to where the airship curved.

"No," Korra wanted to scream, but she couldn't.

Amon dropped Lin, and Korra's body became completely still.

She was blind; dark chuckling filled her ears, and echoed off of the black walls around her. Masks without faces surrounded her. She felt a pressure on her forehead, and...

Korra woke up from her nightmare. But it was okay, because Lin was there. Lin was safe. She wasn't okay. Not yet. But far from done. Lin Beifong would never be done, Korra knew.

Korra reached across the bed to feel for her lover, just to make sure her nightmare was really just a nightmare, but found the sheets cold and empty. Korra bolted upright in bed.

"Lin?" She asked, repeating to herself that it was just a nightmare.

When she received no answer, Korra swung herself out of bed, slightly frantic, and leaving the covers a tangled mess.

"Lin?"

Korra padded into the living room, where Lin was half sitting, half laying on the couch. She was looking out the window, but her stare was so vacant that Korra doubted she was seeing anything. Lin absentmindedly toyed with something in her hands; upon closer inspection, Korra saw that it was her old chief badge.

Korra put her hand over her racing heart, attempting to steady its beating. Lin wasn't fine, but she was safe at the moment. Safe, and in pain on the couch. Korra leaned against the wall. Shouldn't some part of her have felt Lin's absence earlier, and woken up? Wasn't that the way that was supposed to work, like in movies? She shook off her question; Lin clearly needed her.

"Lin," she said softly. "Come back to bed."

Lin did not give any indication that she'd heard Korra, either because she was lost in her thoughts or because she wanted Korra to go away. She continued to rub her old badge between her fingers, staring out the window at the city she believed she failed.

Korra walked across the room and placed her hand on Lin's shoulder, but found she was speechless. What could she say? I'm sorry you lost a part of yourself? I'm sorry I couldn't stop him from taking away a connection to your mother? She couldn't say that. Not when she could feel the earth's heartbeat beneath her own feet. It was something she'd never want to give up.

"Go back to bed, Korra," Lin sighed, putting the Chief badge down on the coffee table. "I want to be alone."

"Well, you're not getting alone. I'm going to be here for you, whether you like it or not." Korra could, at least, do this for her.

"Oh, Spirits," Lin sighed as Korra climbed on top of her, clearly intent on cuddling. Lin was not a cuddler. Nevertheless, she ran her fingers through Korra's hair.

"Do you want to talk?" Korra asked.

"Not really."

And so the two laid in silence. Korra could hear Lin's heartbeat, and the remaining fear from her nightmare was extinguished. Lin had a strong heartbeat. She wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. She could probably outlive Korra. She had survived so much loss. Everything had been taken from her; her mother, Tenzin, her position as Chief; and now her bending. Nobody could say Lin wasn't a survivor. She was resilient and determined.

"This isn't the end of me," Lin said, breaking the silence. Korra was unsure whether or not she was talking to herself.

"Of course not," Korra said.

"My Uncle Sokka was a councilman and an excellent warrior. He was instrumental in ending the Hundred Years' War. Though he did have a ponytail," Lin snorted. "He wasn't a bender."

Korra recognized the description as the man who spoke for the council in her vision, after Yakone's trial, and nodded.

There was another moment of silence, in which Korra contemplated Lin's strength. She went after Amon alone so that the last remaining airbenders could get away and Korra could hide until the United Forces came. She lost her bending, but fought her way back to this place, because she knew Korra would be here. She truly was her mother's daughter.

"I used to wish I could so something heroic, like my mother," Lin said. "I never thought I'd lose my bending." A brief pause. "I regret nothing."

"My mother would have loved me, if I wasn't born a bender," Lin continued. "I know because I asked her, once. She gave me this look, and told me that I could've been born with three webbed feet, and she wouldn't have loved me any less. She told me that bending made me who I was, but it wasn't my full identity. She told me I was also the daughter of the biggest badass ever, and that meant that I would also grow up to become a badass." Lin was smiling slightly now, her eyes in the past.

"I wish I could've met her," Korra said softly.

"I do, too. She would've loved you."

"Why don't you talk about her more?"

"Because we're usually naked, and I don't like talking about her while we're naked."

"You're talking about her now, and we're naked," Korra pointed out.

"Now's different. We're just… being."

"That sounds like something Tenzin would say," Korra snorted.

"Let's not talk about Tenzin," Lin said, making a face.

"Why not?"

"Because we're naked!" Lin said, as if this should be obvious.

"But we were just talking about your mother," Korra protested.

"Alright, fine. Here's what we're going to do: we're going to make a list of all the people we aren't going to talk about while we're naked. Number one: my mother. Number two: Tenzin.

"How am I going to remember?" Korra asked

"I'll write it down," Lin said dryly. And then she smiled.

There was a pause, in which Korra stared thoughtfully and Lin looked at the ceiling.

"What are you thinking about?" Lin asked when she noticed the Avatar's expression.

Had she been expecting profound wisdom, she would have been disappointed. But she was not. Lin knew Korra.

"I wonder what Amon did with Tarrlok. I would've thrown him in Yue Bay, but with the waterbending and all, I don't think that happened," Korra said.

"Number three: Tarrlok," was Lin's response, though she smiled again.

Korra kissed the corner of her mouth, "You're really beautiful when you smile. And always, but especially when you smile."

And then Korra wrapped her arms around Lin's waist, managing to flip the two of them without falling on the ground. She did not release Lin.

Lin looked up, the question on her face.

"You're the one who usually holds me," Korra explained. "But you need holding, tonight."

"You're incredibly young, and incredibly sweet," was Lin's response. "But can you hold me in bed? I'm getting a crick in my neck."

Korra grinned, scooping Lin into her arms and getting up in one fluid motion, "M'Lady," she said.

"You're ridiculous," Lin said, but she was smiling as she wrapped her arms around Korra's neck.

"Why, yes. Yes, I am," Korra said, walking back to their bedroom.

She yanked down the knotted covers, before gently placing Lin on the bed. She pulled the covers up over her lover, before slipping under them to spoon her.

"Thank you, Korra," Lin said. "You've made this easier."

Korra placed her hand over Lin's; Korra's was much larger, and very warm. Her fingers wound themselves through Lin's; her thumb rubbed Lin's palm. Through this, she attempted to convey what she could not put into words; the sorrow, the hope, and all the emotions she couldn't name.

When Lin turned her head to press a kiss to Korra's jaw, Korra knew her message was received.


End file.
